


Of Macarons and Pains Au Chocolat

by ciitadel



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng Know, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Identity Reveal, adrien and mari already know each other's identities, basically three times alya almost found out ladybug's identity and the one time she did, they're also good friends, written for the miraculous pride zine!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 03:59:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12380457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ciitadel/pseuds/ciitadel
Summary: Her mouth opened like she was going to speak, but then stopped, before it opened again. “You know what’s weird? Sometimes… I dunno, tell me if this is dumb but I… I feel like I know you? Like, I just feel really comfortable around you like I’ve known you for a while,” Ladybug’s eyes widened at that, a small gasp escaping her lips, but Alya didn’t notice anything except her silence. “Never mind, that’s kinda dumb-” She began, cheeks bright as she closed her laptop and went to stand.“No!” Ladybug interrupted, grabbing her wrist. Alya jumped in surprise, and Ladybug shrunk back into her seat guiltily. “I-I mean - no, it’s not dumb. I… I feel the same way with you,” God, if Alya only knew the half of it. Alya paused for a moment, before her shocked expression quickly morphed into a radiant grin.“I… I’m glad,” She said, putting her laptop into her bag. “I gotta go now, but if you’re ever bored during a patrol again, let me know, I’d love to hang out some more!” Alya hurried off, leaving Ladybug with a head full of fear, and a stomach full of butterflies.She reallyreallyneeded to stop doing this.But, funnily enough, she didn’t want to.





	Of Macarons and Pains Au Chocolat

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm here and I've made miraculous content 
> 
>  
> 
> _whoa what a miracle amiright_
> 
>  
> 
> Roasting myself aside, I wrote this for the miraculous pride zine and we're finally allowed to post our pieces!! I had a ton of fun writing this, I love alyanette like ,,, a lot so getting to write this for such an amazing zine nonetheless was really amazing
> 
> you can find a link to the zine itself [here](https://miraculouspridezine.tumblr.com/) this was truly such a cool thing to be a part of and there's so many amazing pieces in the zine that you guys should definitely check out
> 
> Also, in the zine there is amazing art that goes along with this fic done by the lovely [Plum](http://p-l-u-m-b-u-m.tumblr.com/) which you can see in the zine!
> 
> Anyway, let's get on with the fic, hope you guys enjoy!

_The first time_

“Ladybug, wait!” Ladybug ignored the reporter’s call behind her and shot her yoyo into the sky, flying away from the scene of the akuma attack as quickly as possible. 

As she swung away, she spared a glance behind her and saw the wide-eyed gaze of Alya, looking at her with complete awe and admiration. Ladybug smiled, and once she landed on a nearby roof, waved to her best friend right before leaping away from the scene of the fight. 

It was only a few minutes later that her partner caught up with her.

“Good fight, wasn't it, my lady?” Chat asked as he ran beside her, lithely jumping over an exposed beam. 

“Yeah, it was. That akuma was a bit of a challenge,” Ladybug agreed as she slid underneath a pipe. Her earrings beeped, alerting her that she had limited time before her transformation expired. She quickly spotted a nearby alleyway up ahead, and pointed to it.

“Here, we can transform over there,” she said. Chat nodded and they both leapt down into the alley, the darkness disappearing momentarily as the pink and green light of them dropping their transformations flashed. 

Landing in the alley, Marinette smoothed out her hair and glanced over at her partner, who seemed to be no worse for wear. Tikki dropped into her outstretched palms, and she hurried to hand the tired kwami a cookie, before gently guiding her into her purse. 

“You ready to go, Adrien?” Marinette asked, looking to her friend. Adrien was currently attempting to feed his kwami, Plagg, with a piece of cheese, but Plagg just stuck his nose up.

“I want Camembert, not this Babybel knockoff,” Plagg said, making Adrien roll his eyes. 

“Look, I know you don't prefer these but it's all I have on me right now. I'll get you some Camembert later. Now, do you want it or not?” Plagg stared at Adrien for a moment, clearly weighing the pros and cons of the offer that was laid in front of him, before sighing and grabbing the cheese. 

“Fine, I'll take this, but I expect a full plate of Camembert tonight,” Adrien just rolled his eyes and opened his shirt for Plagg to fly into, and Marinette stifled a giggle. It was always entertaining to see Adrien interact with his kwami, as Plagg’s personality was so very different than Tikki’s.

Marinette had known Adrien’s identity, and vice versa, for nearly a year now. It didn't feel like that much time had passed, but it was so normal to her now that it seemed ridiculous for things to be any other way. Now, along with being her one of her closest friends, Adrien was also her ultimate confidant. 

“Let's go, Marinette,” Adrien said, starting towards the main street. Marinette grinned and followed him out of the alley, but wasn't even two steps out onto the street before a face was suddenly in her own.

“Marinette! I saw Ladybug go this way! Did you see her?” Alya asked, excitedly dancing from foot to foot as she spoke. 

“Uhhh…” she paused and looked to Adrien for help, and he subtly pointed in the direction they had been heading before deviating into the alley. “I think I saw her go that way?” She said in an uncertain tone, pointing to where Adrien had pointed. Alya’s eyes lit up at that, and she whirled around before taking off in that direction. 

“Thanks Mari! I'll catch up with you later!” She yelled, phone already in hand. The two friends watched her sprint away, and once she was gone, Marinette breathed out a sigh of relief before turning back to Adrien. 

“God, she's getting really good at following us, isn't she?” Marinette commented, running a hand through her hair. 

“Yeah, she is. If she had gotten here just a few seconds sooner…” Adrien trailed off, the words not needing to be said. Marinette nodded in agreement, chewing her lip out of nervousness. 

All of their encounters with Alya had been more and more risky as time went on. She was getting closer than ever to finding out the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and Marinete knew she wasn't going to give up till she knew just who the masked heroes of Paris were. 

It's not that Marinette didn't want to tell her best friend. In fact, the very opposite was true. She wanted to tell her more than anything. But it had been several years since Ladybug and Chat Noir first became renowned for their heroism, and Marinette was fully aware that if she told Alya now, not only would it put Alya in danger of being used as blackmail if Hawkmoth were to ever find out she knew, but also the level of betrayal her best friend would feel would be unfathomable. 

Alya would never forgive her.

And so, Marinette kept quiet. Letting the secret that weighed her down fester deep within her, only for Adrien to know about. 

“We should head back to class, I'm sure Alya will catch up with us soon,” Adrien suggested. Marinette nodded, still staring after her best friend, a wave of guilt making her heart clench. 

It was only a short walk back to François DuPont Academy, and soon enough they were back in class, just as if the lunchtime akuma attack had never even occurred. 

Marinette took her usual seat and noticed Alya wasn't there. 

Alya didn't show up till thirty minutes into class. Madame Bustier frowned at her, but didn't write the girl a late slip as she would’ve for any other student. The teachers were all aware that Alya followed akuma attacks closer than any other reporter was willing to go, and had reached an unspoken understanding that sometimes the student wouldn't be able to get back to class right on time. 

“Hey girl, what'd I miss?” Alya whispered as she slid into her seat, nudging Marinette with her elbow. Marinette glanced up from her notes and smiled at her friend, relieved to see she was okay.

“Not much, mainly just talking about us preparing to read A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Alya nodded and leaned over to get a better look at Marinette’s paper, and Marinette felt heat rise in her cheeks at their close proximity. 

Then, Alya backed off and class continued as normal. Marinette felt the tightness in her chest loosen over the hours, and by the end of the day it was gone. 

~  
_The second time_

It was a rough fight this time. 

The akuma was more violent than most, utilizing her ability to control metal to throw cars around as if they were toys. Her name was Metallica, a pun which Ladybug would've actually appreciated had the person wielding the name not have been trying to kill people. 

The screams of civilians flooded Ladybug’s ears as she dodged yet another hunk of metal (was that a statue?), and she glanced behind to see throngs of people running for any sort of shelter they could find.

“Ladybug! Over there!” Chat shouted, pointing to a group of civilians that were in the direct path of a flying Toyota. Ladybug wasted no time in throwing her yoyo around the two lamp posts framing the group of people, wrapping the string around multiple times to act as a makeshift net. 

The car bounced off the yoyo strings and went crashing into an empty patch of street, and the civilians cheered as Ladybug undid her net. 

Then, she heard another scream, this time from an all too familiar voice.

Whirling around, Ladybug saw Alya was trapped in an alleyway with nowhere to run, and the akuma was quickly approaching her. 

She felt her entire body freeze as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. 

“Oh look, it's Ladybug’s little pet reporter. You're always right in the thick of the action. I suppose this is gonna go on your precious Ladyblog too?” Metallica asked, gesturing to Alya’s phone. Whereas most would've blanched and tried to make a run for it, Alya held her ground and tightened the grip on her phone. 

“Yeah, it is,” she said, a smirk growing on her face despite the worry in her eyes. “As a reporter, it's my duty to put any and all instances with Ladybug on my blog, and you can bet I'm gonna film every little second of Ladybug kicking your-” Alya didn't get the chance to finish her sentence before the akuma was pinning her to the wall, a hand quickly closing around her throat. Ladybug paled, the adrenaline coursing through her finally pushing her into action. 

“I dare you to finish that sentence, little reporter,” she sneered, pressing her face close against Alya’s. “Tell me, where’s your precious Ladybug now?” Before Alya could respond, Ladybug swung down into the alley, right behind Metallica, and Alya grinned despite being choked. 

“I'm right here,” she announced. Metallica whipped around, dropping Alya rather unceremoniously to the ground in favor of glaring down the heroine. 

“So, Ladybug, I knew you'd come for her soon enough,” Metallica said, her grin practically feral. 

“What can I say? I can't let you hurt the best reporter in Paris, now can I?” Metallica frowned and Alya laughed weakly, her voice hoarse as she rubbed her neck. 

“Hand over your Miraculous!” The akuma demanded.

“Hmm… It's gonna be a ‘no’ from me,” Ladybug cocked a half-smile, and Metallica growled before suddenly leaping towards Ladybug, which the hero side-stepped with ease.

But Ladybug’s victory didn't last long, as before Metallica was even up on her feet, a barrage of metal objects began to fly towards the two girls. 

Now standing in front of her friend, Ladybug used her yoyo to defend Alya from the onslaught. She blocked watches, rings, cell phones, car keys, scissors, pretty much anything metal that one could find in daily life. Alya shrunk behind Ladybug’s frame, while Ladybug frantically looked for a way to get the girl out of here. 

She couldn't move or else Alya would get pummeled, but if she stayed she was just going to tire herself out. Her arm was already becoming sore from the constant yoyo swinging, and she could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She needed a way out and she needed it now. 

Wait, where was Chat?

“CHAT! I NEED SOME HELP OVER HERE!” She shouted, wincing as an old-fashioned telephone bounced off the surface of her yoyo. (Where had that come from? Who even used a rotary phone these days?) Metallica laughed, the noise harsh and grating like nails on a chalkboard, and Ladybug’s eyes widened as a car appeared from behind the akuma, barreling towards the girls at high speed. 

_Think, think, think!_ What could she do?

Ladybug didn't have time to formulate a plan before Chat landed in front of her, dodging the assault with feline grace. 

“Get her out of here! I'll hold Metallica off!” Chat shouted, his baton already in motion. Ladybug nodded, knowing this was the only chance she was gonna get. Grabbing Alya by the waist, she swung her yoyo into the sky and flew off, hoping her partner would be able to hold his own until she got back. 

Together the hero and her reporter flew through the sky, the wind whipping past them as destruction raged below. Alya gasped and tightened her grip on Ladybug, and Ladybug squeezed the arm wrapped around the girl's waist. 

“I got you,” she murmured. She wanted to get Alya as far away from the destruction as possible, but she knew that her friend would only come racing back as soon as she left. So she decided to place her somewhere she would be safe, but would still get a good shot of the action.

It was on a rooftop nearby. Far enough away that Metallica wouldn't notice her, but close enough that her camera would be able to capture the rest of the fight. 

Ladybug landed on the roof with practiced ease, her steps light as she set Alya back down onto solid ground. Alya took a shaky breath, settling herself, but kept her arms wrapped around Ladybug’s shoulders as regained her footing. 

“T-Thank you, Ladybug. I really thought I was gonna be screwed back there if you hadn’t come along,” she said, smiling brightly at the girl. 

“Of course, Alya. I’d never let you get hurt,” Ladybug responded. Alya stared at her in surprise for a moment, and Ladybug’s cheeks began to heat up as she realized the weight of what she had said. “A-And any other citizen of Paris, I’d never let any citizens get hurt,” she stammered in an attempt to hide her blunder. Alya just chuckled, and Ladybug noticed her cheeks were flushed as well. 

“Well thank you anyway,” Alya said, glancing at her shoes before looking back up at Ladybug. She gazed at Ladybug for a few seconds, before her brows pulled into a frown, and she cocked her head to the side. “You know… you remind me of a friend of mine,” she commented. Ladybug’s heart rate picked up. “In fact, you even kinda look like her-” 

“SORRY BYE GOTTA GO HELP CHAT!” Ladybug shouted, abruptly moving out of Alya’s hold and swinging her yoyo to escape the inquisitive reporter’s gaze. Her face burned as she flew through the sky, resisting the urge to turn and glance back at her friend. That was dangerous. She couldn’t let herself get that close to Alya again, she was starting to notice things she shouldn’t, and Ladybug couldn’t let her find out her identity. No matter how much she wanted to. 

~  
_The third time_

She had promised herself she wasn’t going to let Alya get any closer to Ladybug. She had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t do that for risk of Alya catching wind of her identity. 

But considering she was currently having coffee with the reporter in question, she was doing a pretty crappy job of that. 

“So Ladybug, what is your favorite pastry?” Alya asked, leaning slightly over the table. Ladybug scratched her chin in thought, taking a sip of her cappuccino as she did so, before grinning. 

“Pain au chocolat, definitely,” it had been several weeks since the Metallica incident, and Ladybug had been doing good on her promise to herself. She barely spoke to Alya during battles, only giving her small smiles here and there so the girl would know the she wasn’t upset with her. 

But then, tired of homework and just wanting to stretch her muscles, she’d decided to do a quick patrol completely on impulse. She hadn’t expected to run into Alya outside one of her favorite cafes, sipping on a coffee as she typed something on her laptop. She also hadn’t really been expecting Alya to light up like the sun when she saw Ladybug there, or to invite the girl to sit down with her. 

The fact that the staff had given her a free cappuccino was just the icing on the ‘unexpected surprises’ cake. 

Now, here she was, talking and laughing with the girl who was arguably the biggest threat to her secret identity being revealed. 

“You gonna put that on the Ladyblog?” Ladybug asked with a teasing grin. Alya looked as if she had been considering it, but ultimately shook her head. 

“Nah, we can keep that between you and me. I don’t think Paris needs to know everything about you,” she said, winking at Ladybug from across the table. 

“Well in that case, let me let you in on another secret,” Ladybug said, leaning forward in a conspiratorial manner. Alya’s eyes widened as she also leaned in to listen. Picking up her cappuccino, Ladybug gestured to it for Alya to see, and proceeded to down the rest of the small beverage in one go. 

“I _cannot_ survive mornings without a cup of coffee, I’ll even drink it black if I have to,” Ladybug said with a smirk. Alya snorted and took a sip of her own drink.

“Honestly, that seems like you,” Alya commented offhandedly. She pursed her lips for a moment and scrunched her brows, realizing the oddness of what she said. 

Her mouth opened like she was going to speak, but then stopped, before it opened again. “You know what’s weird? Sometimes… I dunno, tell me if this is dumb but I… I feel like I know you? Like, I just feel really comfortable around you like I’ve known you for a while,” Ladybug’s eyes widened at that, a small gasp escaping her lips, but Alya didn’t notice anything except her silence. “Never mind, that’s kinda dumb-” She began, cheeks bright as she closed her laptop and went to stand. 

“No!” Ladybug interrupted, grabbing her wrist. Alya jumped in surprise, and Ladybug shrunk back into her seat guiltily. “I-I mean - no, it’s not dumb. I… I feel the same way with you,” God, if Alya only knew the half of it. Alya paused for a moment, before her shocked expression quickly morphed into a radiant grin. 

“I… I’m glad,” She said, putting her laptop into her bag. “I gotta go now, but if you’re ever bored during a patrol again, let me know, I’d love to hang out some more!” Alya hurried off, leaving Ladybug with a head full of fear, and a stomach full of butterflies. 

She really _really_ needed to stop doing this. 

But, funnily enough, she didn’t want to.

~  
_The last time_

Ladybug took labored breaths, her feet still stinging from the force of her impact with the ground. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she could faintly hear the slapping of Alya’s shoes against concrete as she caught up with the heroine. 

Her hands shook as Alya got closer. She couldn’t hide this much longer. Alya knew. She knew. It was obvious by the look on her face when Ladybug had given her the macarons. God, she had to be so angry with Marinette. 

The scene kept playing over and over again in her head. She had just ‘run into’ Alya again during a ‘spontaneous’ patrol, where the reporter was waiting at the cafe she was always at, typing rapidly onto her computer. She’d been thrilled when she saw Ladybug land in front of her table, and Ladybug had explained how she had brought some macarons from home for the two of them to share. 

Of course, Ladybug had forgotten she’d grabbed one of her bakery’s boxes to take the macarons in. As soon as Alya’s eyes fell onto the logo Marinette had designed herself, the meaning of the words ‘from home’ seemed to hit, and Alya had gasped. 

Ladybug hadn’t waited around to see her reaction, instead taking the opportunity to flee. 

The footsteps came closer, and then slowed to a walk. Ladybug kept her gaze firmly fixed on the alley wall in front of her, not wanting to turn around. The footsteps continued their approach, the sound bouncing off the walls like the notes of a disjointed song. Then, they stopped. 

“I…” Alya began, her voice sounding strained. She paused, and Ladybug braced herself for it. She braced herself for the yelling and screaming, the accusations and unbridled rage that she so rightly deserved. But it never came.

Instead, when Alya spoke again, her voice was soft. 

“I… I know a lot about you, Ladybug.” She said, no trace of anger or betrayal in her voice. Ladybug didn’t turn around, her shoulders remaining tense as she waited for Alya to continue. “I’ve always made it my mission to find out as much as I could about you. How old you were, where you went to school, how you got your powers, the whole deal. And, well, I like to think I’ve done a pretty good job of that.

“I know you’re in my grade, and I know that you go to my school,” she began. “I know your earrings are the source of your powers, which is why Akuma's are always trying to steal them. And, I also know you didn’t want to be a superhero at first,” she continued. Ladybug heard her take a step closer. 

“But recently, I’ve also learned some more… interesting things,” Alya said. “I know you have a sweet tooth, and that you love pain au chocolat. I also know you can’t survive mornings without some form of coffee, and that you’ll even drink it black if you’re desperate enough,” she said this with a chuckle, as if looking back on some fond memory. She stepped closer. 

“I… I also know you love Paris, and that you’re willing to defend it with your life. You love this city that much, despite seeing nearly every citizen at their absolute worst on a daily basis.” 

Closer. 

“I know you’ve always seemed weirdly familiar to me. That’s part of the reason I was so obsessed with finding out who you were, I wanted to know why it felt like I knew you every time I saw you fly off on your yoyo to go fight the bad guys,” Alya was right behind her now, and she knew that if she turned around they would be face to face. 

“I know your family’s bakery makes some of the best macarons in the city, and that on our first day of meeting each other you split your last one with me,” Ladybug felt her breath hitch at that, her heart practically pounding out of her chest. “I know that you’re one of the kindest and most fearless people I’ve ever met, and… well…” she paused. 

“I know you’re my best friend.” It was silent between them for a moment, before Ladybug sighed, and turned around to face the girl. She was surprised to see that Alya didn’t seem angry, or upset. Instead, she just seemed… concerned. Had she already known? Was that why she wasn’t blowing up at her?

“How long?” Ladybug asked quietly. “Did you only just find out? Or did you figure it out earlier?” 

“I… I’ve suspected it for a while, especially ever since you saved me from Metallica. But then when you brought up the macarons earlier today I knew for sure it was you.” Alya explained. They were standing so close to each other, their foreheads were nearly touching. Ladybug could feel Alya’s soft breath on her face, and was certain her friend could hear the violent pounding of her heart. 

“Are you mad at me?” Ladybug asked in a tiny voice, glancing at her feet. Alya didn’t respond immediately, hesitating as she seemingly thought about how to answer.

“I was at first, but I get why you had to hide it from me. You can’t exactly go telling the world your secret identity,” Alya said with a chuckle. 

“Well… I’m sorry anyway. I wanted to tell you, I really did. I just… couldn’t.” Ladybug said, leaning forward till her head was pressed against Alya’s. 

“It’s okay, I forgive you,” Alya was whispering now. “I know now, that’s what’s important.” With every breath from Alya, Ladybug felt shivers run up and down her spine. Ladybug felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her worries were gone, Alya wasn’t mad at her, she still had her best friend. It was okay. Everything was okay. 

And now, in this moment, without the crushing fear that Alya would hate her if she ever knew her identity, Marinette knew what she wanted to do next. 

“Alya… can I-” 

“Yes, please,” Alya said, cutting her off. Marinette grinned and leaned forward, closing the gap between them as their lips met. Slowly, gently, the girls kissed, both smiling as they reveled in the simple act. Marinette’s arms wrapped around Alya’s waist, and Alya’s hands trailed up so her fingers were tangling in Marinette’s pigtails. Without breaking the kiss, Marinette dropped her transformation, the pink light flashing behind her closed eyes as her mask disappeared. 

After a few minutes of kissing, both entangled in one another, Alya pulled back, and smiled even wider. 

“There’s my pretty girl,” Alya said, moving her hand to stroke Marinette’s cheek. 

“You sound like you’re talking to a cat,” Marinette replied, laughing lightly. Alya smirked and pecked her on the cheek. 

“And they say romance is dead,” They both stared at each other for a moment, before dissolving into a fit of giggles. It was a few more minutes that they stayed in that alley, laughing and kissing one another, before they walked out, hand in hand as they made their way back onto the streets of Paris. A hero and her reporter. A girl and her best friend. A perfect match. 

They were together, and that was that.

**Author's Note:**

> _I just really wanted cute fluffy alyanette okay_
> 
>  
> 
> Like I said before, it was super fun writing this piece for the zine. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did! 
> 
> I just love these girls a lot man
> 
> My tumblr: themiraculoustrashcan.tumblr.com
> 
> Make sure to leave a comment if you enjoyed! Makes my day tbh :)


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